The World As We Know It
by dazey186
Summary: When Meredith Reed finds herself hundreds of miles from home surround by fear and death she can only try to survive. When she meets Rick Grimes neither of them have any idea of how much they will come to lean on one another. (my take of TWD from Season 1 if Rick truly had someone to rely on.) Rated M cause it's TWD and you just never know.
1. Prologue

**AN: So I really love TWD and I love Rick even with all his crazy. This is my take on what would stay the same or change if he had someone to truly have his back. It will eventually become a RG/OC story. I love Michonne don't get me wrong but I was never a Richonne shipper, just never could see it (sorry if that's your OTP). These chapters are not beta'd so I apologize for any mistakes. If someone would like to beta this story for me let me know I could always use the extra eyes and someone to make sure I stay on track. Now enough babbling from me... Happy Reading, Please let me know what you think!**

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He walked through the makeshift camp carefully; ignoring the logical part of his brain, he let hope drive him through the abandoned cars toward the gas station. He was not stupid, he knew that these cars, tents and tarps were not here because people chose to leave the fuel giving up their search for a safe haven. Still the optimistic part of him; the part that said he had already cheated death, was telling him that nothing was gained by not trying.

Seeing what the world had become while he laid in a hospital bed, a coma keeping him unaware of the madness that had broken loose, he knew that his life was a miracle. While others perished to some unknown disease he remained safe behind a door only protected by a gurney. No; there had to be a reason he lived through a gun shot wound, an unmonitored coma for who knows how many days, and the threat of the dead just outside his door as he lay unresponsive.

Waking, disoriented, into the hell the world had become he felt panic and desperation. Finding his home empty, with no sign as to his wife and son's whereabouts, those emotions increased tenfold. Wondering if this could be a horrific nightmare he broke down begging himself to wake up, for this to not be real. Drained of energy both mentally and physically, his body still recovering, he must have passed out.

When he woke the second time he knew this was not simply a nightmare and he was unsure what to do about the new reality he found himself in. He staggered outside, his mind still expecting the world to be normal, hoping to find someone to help him understand. He found someone but not in the manner he had expected. He was shocked to see a man point blank shoot another in the head. Before he could react with anything more than shock he had been bashed in the head and knocked out cold.

Almost two weeks had passed since Morgan had threatened him and subsequently explained the new world. He wanted to set out immediately in search of his family, but was forced to acknowledge his need for further recovery.

The area was eerily quiet as he took note of the sign proclaiming "No Gas". Unsurprised but still discouraged he made his way back toward his cruiser. He paused thinking he has seen some movement ahead, crouching down he spied a child's feet clad in filthy bunny slippers. Quickly he stood hoping to gain her attention, assuming she needed help. "Little Girl." he called "Little girl, it's okay I'm a policeman" he said again as she shuffled to a stop. Part of his mind knew her movements were not normal but he rejected the possibility that this could be caused by anything other than fatigue, and fear. When she turned to face him, his ability to deny the truth was gone and his heart broke as he lifted his Colt Python.

The little girls body fell backwards but before he fully lowered his gun he heard another sound behind him. Instinct had him crouching next to a car gun raised. Assuming another walker had been drawn by his shot moments before. He remained quiet hoping to avoid detection. Once his mind cleared he realized he was hearing the sounds of someone trying to muffle their cries. Standing he quietly made his way toward the sound hearing the occasional word, as he got closer.

"A cop... something you couldn't...not sure" He could tell it was a woman's voice and judging from the incoherence as well as the lack of response to her words, he assumed she was alone. Lowering his weapon slightly but keeping it at the ready he rounded the back of an old sedan.


	2. Chapter 1

Lori Grimes stood in the hallway outside of her husband's hospital room. Shane called from the station, explaining that the military advised that sections of the town would be cordoned off, marked as unsafe. The school was already full as a shelter and triage, and the hospital would have to be cleared. Anyone considered high risk or unable to protect themselves would be moved somewhere more secure. She had hoped that the doctor's would have some kind of information about how the hospital was being cleared but no one seemed to stand still long enough for her to voice her questions.

She heard people say "it felt as if my world fell apart" when they talked about a family member being involved in a fatal or near fatal situation. She understood it as a figure of speech; she even understood how it could feel that way emotionally. She felt that moment of being utterly lost the second Shane pulled into the schoolyard. What she did not expect was for the world to literally fall apart. In her mind her personal world started falling apart long before her husband was shot or the dead no longer just died.

She was a recent college graduate just returned home to the comfort and predictability of small town life when she met Rick Grimes. She was the prim and popular girl, raised to be the modern equivalent of Donna Reed. While she enjoyed the experience of being away at university, she knew being the independent, single, career woman would never be for her. She was all for women's rights but there was something very appealing to her about being provided for and doted on by the man she loved.

Rick, who had been proudly serving as a county police officer, had a quiet confidence about him. He was a respectful, soft-spoken guy who was obviously well liked by most everyone in the area. She had taken a job working at the bank and he would stop in every day to take her to lunch. Within a year they were married, Rick was quickly promoted to Senior Deputy, and she was ready to start her family. Rick had been everything she hoped for in a husband, he was attentive, caring, well thought of in the community and respected at work. When she found herself a mom at the age of twenty-four she was completely content with life. When Carl was a baby and toddler, Rick tried to take time off as often as possible to be there for the important milestones.

Maybe she had watched too many old black and white shows as a kid, because the perfect life she had envisioned did not seem to be a lasting one. Their relationship had moved quickly and Lori soon found being Susie homemaker was not as easy as she thought it would be. As Carl grew older and started school, Lori hoped to use the time alone for things like cooking classes, and PTA, but Rick began taking more shifts, or volunteering for off duty work, and was not home as often as she would have liked. She was not obtuse; she knew the extra work was necessary, especially since she had no desire to return to work after so many years at home. The problem was that as time went on she felt as if she had become less important in his eyes. Family dinners were not as enjoyable as they had once been, items on the 'honey do' list took forever to get done, and they rarely saw eye to eye on many issues.

Rick's position in the community was at one time something Lori enjoyed, but she could not help but feel a bit of resentment when it seemed that his sense of duty to everyone around him came before that to his family. This led to arguments becoming more common in their household. She worried she was being too needy .She once asked Shane if she was being unreasonable in her desire for attention from her husband.

Shane, Rick's partner and best friend was often around. She had been thankful for Shane's presence in their lives, as he would often help out around the house or with Carl when Rick was not able to.

The two men had been friends since High School. After Rick graduated from the academy Shane heard enough from his friend that he decided to follow him in becoming an officer. Rick pulled some strings and helped his friend get hired with him in King County. He was the perpetual bachelor, and had a much more take charge, in you face attitude, than Rick.

Lori and Shane became close and Carl looked to him as an uncle. Rick and Shane had always been like brothers and often fought like siblings. Over the years Lori learned how to mediate between the two, especially when Shane had difficulty dealing with Rick's seniority at the station. Lori knew that despite their friendship Shane did not always agree with Rick and had no issues with stating his differing opinions. Shane had been around for almost all of the ups and down in their marriage and she appreciated how he would often take her side despite his friendship with Rick.

The problem now was that the world had gone crazy. Her husband was fighting for his life in a hospital that had been turned upside down by this virus. Carl was dealing with the uncertainty of his father's health and she was doing everything she could to shield him from what was happening to people all over the world. Shane had stepped up and became her rock; he was her source of guidance as she was suddenly the one to make all the decisions that would normally be deferred to Rick. Lori was a capable woman, she could and would take charge if need be, but there had been very few times in her life when she had to. She was relieved that Shane was there to help her because she was not used to responsibility falling solely on her.

When she realized that no one was going to bother approaching her she reached out and grabbed the doctor that was rushing by. "Excuse me. The patients in this ward, what is the evacuation plan for them?" She could tell her abrupt movement and demand for information startled the doctor. She noticed the wariness in his face alluding to the sleepless nights, stress, and fear that seemed to hang over everyone in recent days.

"As far as I know a refugee area has been set up in Atlanta and these patients will be moved to a medical facility nearby." His response gave her information but not enough.

"Atlanta's a big city do you have any idea where this facility and refugee center will be?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, that's all I know, I'm sure the military officers could give you more information or you may have to simply wait until you arrive at the city to be directed to the correct area."

Recognizing she would not get any further information she gave the haggard doctor a tight smile and nod. Opening the door to Rick's hospital room and calling for her son the feeling of helplessness washed over her. She wished for more information but found that the military presence in town were often little help unless you wanted curt answers and vague instructions.

Lori watched as Carl squeezed his father's hand, before turning toward her. She had not been thrilled with the idea of bringing the boy anywhere near the chaos of the hospital but he had a right to see his dad. She really did not feel any safer leaving him home alone.

Carl had been so brave since Rick had been shot, it was almost as if he refused to believe his father would not recover from this. In Carl's eyes his dad was a hero who could do just about anything. When the insanity of the virus started making news she kept him away from the majority of the shocking and gruesome reports. It was not the easiest thing to do since they had spent a few hours each day at the hospital. Seeing the progression of business as usual to uncertainty and panic was difficult to miss. As things seemed to get worse she would keep Carl inside as much as possible, which posed problems on many different fronts. No child Carl's age wants to stay inside when there is no school and the sun is shining, hospital visits became more difficult, and being inside meant watching TV where there was a chance to see the news.

She knew she could not keep him completely ignorant to what was happening all around the world. Things happened quickly, which left everyone scrambling to figure out the what, why, and how. There was no way to pretend that everything was normal. He may have been nearly thirteen but he was still her baby boy. He deserved a normal life. It was bad enough he was experiencing the possibility of losing his father. She would do whatever she could to keep him as innocent as possible. These things that were happening were for adults to deal with, not children.

As they drove home from the hospital she tried to think of everything they would need to do in the next few days. She may not have been able to get exact answers from the doctor but she knew that the evacuation of those patients would be soon. She glanced over at her son and saw that he was watching the people in the neighborhood closely. Some people were packing cars; maybe to find safety with loved ones or believing a refugee center to be safer than home. Some were boarding up homes, whether for added protection from the outside threat or in preparation to leave their home unattended for some unknown amount of time. Some seemed to have raided the stores as if stocking up for a natural disaster, which was completely understandable even if what was happening was far from natural.

Without taking his eyes away from what was going on outside of the car Carl called for his Mom's attention. Lori could hear the anxiety in her son's voice and she struggled to find a way to quell his fears. "Mom, what are we gonna do, are we going with dad? What did the doctors say?"

She reached over and smoothed his hair. "They told me they're gonna move him to Atlanta. We can't go with him honey, but we're gonna go home and pack up some stuff so we can meet him there." she saw him nod and look back outside. "I don't want you to worry too much sweetie, I know things are scary right now but that's just because no one's seen something like this happen before. Everyone's just doing what's right for them. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas told me yesterday they packed up because they have family near the coast. They're going to be with them until things calm down."

"What about those people who are boarding up their houses, why are they doing that?"

Lori sighed, " I don't know for certain, but I guess it's just like when people know there is a hurricane coming; doing stuff like that protects the belongings inside the house. Maybe they figure if they have to leave home for a good while it will keep their things safe." She paused and thought about a further explanation. " Same thing about those people buying up food and things. Some of the delivery trucks are taking a bit longer to get places so people figure they should buy what they can now so they don't have to wait for the deliveries."

She could see that Carl still looked confused. Since she had been trying to keep him from the worst of the news she had also kept him from the results of over crowding in 'safe zones'. Wanting to draw his attention away from all the _'doomsday prepping'_ she quickly pointed out some of the normalcy in town. "But not everyone seems to be so worried, look over there, the Browns are walking to KCC for their usual lunch."

Carl laughed. "Yeah, dad always says they never miss their weekly lunch dates." It was then that Carl pointed to the right. "and it looks like the ladies auxiliary is holding their monthly meeting at the church hall."

Lori smiled seeing that he was right. "See that just goes to show, nobody really knows what's going to happen. Everyone is just trying to figure things out, doing what makes them feel productive."

What Lori did not know was that in a matter of days, these little bits of normalcy and comfort would be gone. Her world was about to be turned upside down all over again. She would find herself grasping at any bit of security she could find.


	3. Chapter 2

**Forgot about this before - Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any media associated with the comic or TV show.**

 **AN: Thanks for everyone who has viewed this story, I really hope you are enjoying it so far. I have had a bad habit of neglecting to update in the past so I am trying to give myself a schedule this time around. I have pre written the first 4 chapters and am working on chapter five now. I intend to write during the week and post on Monday or Tuesday. Hopefully I will always be a chapter ahead if I can stick with this plan. For now here is a little bit of insight into my OC, please meet Meredith Reed. Happy Reading :)**

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"Jules, Mere, get in the damn truck with Summer and stay there!"

"Yeah like that's gonna happen!" Meredith rolled her eyes. She turned to her niece. "Summer, I want you to stay in the truck and lock the doors."

The little girl looked at her fearfully but nodded her head in acceptance. Her sister in law had already started walking away as Meredith reached into the truck bed. She grabbed her hiking staff knowing, full well, that it would not be any real help against the men who were currently threatening her brother.

She could hardly believe that it had barely been two weeks since she was reliving her college years at her sorority sister's wedding. The timing of the wedding had seemed perfect; it was just an hour or so away from her brother's house and allowed her to plan her annual visit at the same time. Every year she would spend her vacation visiting her twin brother, sister in law, and niece.

Her niece was about five years old when the tradition of packing up Mike's Silverado and heading to the wilderness for a week began. Meredith was an outdoor person. Picking blackberries with her Gran, or splashing in the river with her brother and friends were some of her favorite childhood memories. Sharing similar experiences with her niece had become one of the best parts of her year.

When she arrived at her brother's home the excitement she had been feeling from the weekend with her sisters, and getting to spend time with her family quickly evaporated. Her sister in law greeted her at the door with a strained smile. "Mike got called in to cover a few shifts. This flu is has people calling out all over the place and I guess all the stations are seriously understaffed."

At first, Mike, a paramedic for the county, promised it would only be a few shifts and they would still be going camping. Believing this promise Meredith and Julie continued to pack up the truck and organize their camping supplies. A few shifts turned out to be not coming home for over a week. Apparently this flu was much worse than anything that had been seen before. Julie heard on the news that they were comparing it to the Spanish Influenza.

Seeing how quickly the illness was spreading Meredith began wondering if she should email her boss and request a leave of absence. The decision was made for her when Mike finally came home. He received a call from one of his friends who was working shifts in the city. Mike was honestly scared about what he was told.

"I don't know what the hell is going on but they are talking about quarantining the entire city of Charlotte. Ken said that this thing is worse than the news is reporting. He's talking about dead people coming back to life. He said the military showed up today. They're not letting anyone leave the city. If things are getting that bad I don't want to be this close to the city until they get it under control."

Meredith did not question him. Mike was always calm in these kinds of situations; if he was this rattled then it was bad. With his announcement they packed up any last minute items. They always took an am radio and first aid kits camping but Mike insisted on having more heavy-duty medical supplies on hand. Meredith was almost positive that it was his insistence that he go back to the station and pack up his jump bag that caused Julie to open the gun safe.

Meredith raised her eyebrow in question when her sister in law began packing up their guns and ammo. Both Julie and Mike were skilled gun owners who had everything from, glocks to ARs. Julie's favorite was her 380 which typically resided in its' holster on her hip. Julie explained that Mike's concern had her wondering if there was more that he was not telling them.

It turned out that Julie was right. What he neglected to tell them was the confusion and panic that gripped the people. People were frightened. Having police and military closing roads and keeping people out of certain towns had caused many people to lash out.

Mike's plan was to start off toward Atlanta. He was told FEMA was planning on using the city as a base of operations and refugee area. They had not anticipated how difficult this trip would be. Often they were detoured off the main highway. Many times they would be taken thirty or forty miles out of their way before getting back on course. What would normally be a four or five hour drive turned into a day and a half and they were no where close to their destination.

They had been working their way back to the highway when just outside of Spartanburg they came upon a massive traffic jam. Sitting in a vehicle for hours led to a lot of restless energy. Tension had ratcheted up over time and tempers were getting the best of the people around them. When Mike noticed a fight begin to break out among some of the men a few cars ahead of them he decided to intervene. Seeing the men take offense to Mike's intrusion, Julie and Meredith began to fear a more physical altercation.

At Mike's shouted instruction the other men took notice of the two women coming their way. With a sneer one of the men began mocking Mike's masculinity for having women come to his aid. When the comments turned lewd, Mike impulsively reached for the gun on his hip. That movement led to a shove, a punch, a knife being pulled, and before Meredith knew it she was swinging her staff at the man's arm. The knife knocked loose while Julie pulled her pistol in defense. Meredith stepped back shaking; she had acted without thinking. Her actions could have made things worse.

Thankfully, the men backed down seeing as none of them had easy access to any other weapons, but the whole encounter left Meredith with a sense of unease.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with The Walking Dead.**

 **AN: OK so I will admit this fic is my therapy for the nerves I get every TWD episode now fearing who Negan is gonna go after next. I hope you all like this chapter, it's a lot of set up for getting us to where the show started. I am going on Vacation this starting this weekend. I'm still going to try to write but I may be a bit delayed on my update next week. In the mean time Happy Reading and feel free to review, always like to hear what you're thinking.**

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After seeing napalm being dropped on a major American city, the chaos on the highway was understandable. People screamed; people ran for their cars; people argued, and people stared in disbelief. Even though nothing had made sense for almost a month it was that moment that felt more fiction than reality. What had happened when those planes flew over was more a scene from a movie than anything that had been witnessed since the beginning of the outbreak. Shane and Lori rushed back to where Carl was waiting with the others.

Out of the mass of people stranded along the highway a small group has slowly formed around Shane. At first he had not been thrilled with the people continuously coming to him for advice or opinions. The moment he was pointed out as a police officer people seemed to think he would have answers. Realizing some kind of order needed to be kept he pushed aside his annoyance and stepped up. He took charge as best he could. It was strange; Rick had always been the one in the lead, if not for any reason other than his seniority on the force. Now Shane was left to call the shots and found he liked having others listen to him.

Reaching the small group of people that surrounded his jeep, Shane saw Carl standing next to the little blonde haired girl he was playing with earlier. Sophia, and her mother, Carol were nice. They were quiet and timid, but that was understandable once you met Ed, the patriarch of the little family. Shane had no respect for the man who obviously ruled his family with an iron fist. Under normal circumstances he would have offered the woman and child help in some way. Under these circumstances he recognized that there were larger issues to deal with. The world was changing rapidly; some form of security took priority over a potentially abusive marriage.

It had been two and a half days since they left home; normally a maximum two-hour trip had turned into a terrifying journey of uncertainty. Roadblocks, traffic jambs, and accidents, all created obstacles that slowed their progress. There had been no time for any of them to actually grieve the loss of Rick. Shane had not been able to explain what really happened and Lori refused to talk about any details in front of Carl. The boy had been stoic, quietly accepting that his dad was gone. While Carl made friends with the young girl, Shane took the opportunity to comfort Lori. He offered an ear if needed but also reminding her of the need to be strong because the world was simply too crazy to allow for anything else at the moment. Lori simply moved on, she felt the guilt and grief in her heart, but recognized the truth in Shane's words. "Safety and security were the priorities." They were surround by death; her loss was no different than anyone else who had felt that same pain recently.

Shane knew getting away from the immediate chaos would allow him to take stock of the situation and make some decisions. With these thoughts in mind Shane instructed the small assembly to get in their cars and follow him. These people who had spent the last few hours looking to him for guidance were an odd collection. The trio in the church van included Glenn Rhee, a skinny Asian kid; Theodore or T-dog, the van's driver; and Jacqui, a quiet black woman. These three complied easily. The Peletier family; Ed, Carol, and Sophia followed as well, although Ed could be heard grumbling complaints. Shane had Lori checking a map from his glove box until finally deciding the best option to set up a camp for the time being was a quarry just outside of the city.

Looking around it was apparent that the group had grown slightly. A few more people from the highway followed them. The Morales family were the standouts of the new additions. They had two children a few years younger than Carl. They noticed Shane and the others on the highway and chose to follow knowing there were other children around. Shane could see he would have help in keeping the group organized from the father who introduced himself as Hector. There were four others who remained quiet and separate. Shane assumed the only reason they found themselves with this group was a simple lack of any other idea or direction.

It was too late to make many decisions once they arrived at their destination. Shane instructed everyone to park their cars in a way that would block access to the camp. Hector, Ed and some of the others had tents to be set up. Miranda, Hector's wife, suggested that the children sleep together in the back of their station wagon. Lori agreed that the car would provide more protection than Shane's Jeep or a tent. Ed, however, would hear nothing of it and decreed his family would remain together in their tent. Noting Lori's comment about Shane's Jeep T-dog offered up space in his van, which could easily if not all that comfortably fit all five of them.

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Despite the sun barely being out many of the weary group were milling about the makeshift camp. It was obvious that no one really slept the previous night. Thankfully the kids crashed without much effort. Lori was surprised to see the children fall asleep so easily. She had expected them to have difficulty sleeping due to the unknown surroundings at best or nightmares at worst. Taking advantage of the kids continued slumber; discussions about what happened on the highway and to the city broke out. No one was sure what to think. The only certainty any one could agree upon was that things were obviously much worse than they were led to believe.

Lori was leaning into the jeep searching the cooler for a bottle of water when she felt a hand lay comfortingly on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Shane smiling gently at her. "Morning." he said before lowering his hand to her waist and reaching around her body. He pulled a few Clif bars from his pack. "Here, it's not much of a breakfast but it's something until we figure out supplies." He pointed to one. "This one has chocolate, maybe Carl will like that. Kid deserves a treat."

Rolling her eyes but smiling Lori responded with a quite "Thank you." She looked over her shoulder noticing the others. "Guess we should round everyone up talk about what to do next?"

Shane nodded "Yeah gimme a minute to talk to Hector and then we'll figure some things out." He could see the stain in Lori's eyes. She was scared; he knew that everyone was feeling the same but it felt as if there had not been time to breath in the last twenty-four hours. Finding a job for everyone would be best; people having a sense of purpose helped to ease tension.

"Hector!" Shane called out as he saw the Hispanic man checking in on the slowly waking children.

"Morning, and call me Morales, always hated my first name." he replied with a smile as he joined Shane at the edge of the tree line.

After a few strained pleasantries the conversation turned serious. "First thing I think we need to do is take inventory, see what we have and what we need. I know not everyone will agree," Shane said with a glance toward Ed and his family. "But like it or not, we are now a group and the best way to survive is to pool everything together and pitch in."

"You're right, we'll need to prioritize those needs. I wish I didn't believe it but after seeing what just happened to Atlanta, things are obviously worse than everyone thought." Morales said this as he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the city. What he said was true, up until a few hours before they had all been following the news reports and emergency broadcasts telling them that there were plans and systems in place, now none of them were sure what to believe.

Shane followed his gaze. Sighing "I know but I gotta believe it's not as bad as all that. For all we know they could have bombed part of the city to keep other areas safe. If anything it tells us the military is still active and doing something to contain this shit." He patted Morales' shoulder motioning for him to follow as he walked toward the jeep again.

Shane glanced at the T-dog and Glenn who had noticed the conversation between the two men. He motioned for them to join by the them by the jeep. As the foursome came together in front of the vehicle Shane continued speaking. "I have a CB radio in the jeep and know most of the emergency channels and terms, we should check for any chatter just in case."

T-dog furrowed his brow, asking in a confused voice. "In case of what?" He listened to Shane's thoughts about the military and while he agreed about the CB he kept his doubt to himself. He did not know if the others were thinking it was well but most of T-dog's thoughts since the night before had been about one thing. _They were bombing major U.S. cities; cities that were said to be safe zones, how much faith could someone place in a military doing that?_

"Anyway" Shane continued. "We'll figure out what supplies we have and what we need; try to hold here as long as we can. Until we hear news, or things have settled down, it's probably the safest thing to do. After seeing the back ups on the highway last night, no use trying to fight our way through anything like that again until we know where to go."

Shane was not absolutely sure it was the safe thing to do but he also knew that any move they made would not be a simple jaunt up the road. They could not take the chance of getting stranded without a plan or supplies. He glanced over to where Lori was sitting with Carl. He felt tightness in his chest as she watched the woman comb her fingers through her son's hair. They were his responsibility now. He was now responsible for all of these people but Lori and Carl were his family now and he was not willing to lose them.

"No telling how safe the city is after last night." Glenn spoke up. "so if we're talking supplies, might want to check out the highway first." Seeing confusion in the faces of his companions he quickly explained. "Come on, you didn't see it? In all that chaos last night people just ran for the hills. In a jam like that, with all that fear and confusion I saw a lot of people not even think about trying to wait for an opening to move their cars. They just ran off." He waved his hand toward the tents a few of their members had. "No telling what people packed, but all those abandoned cars could have things we need."

"And if those people come back for their cars and belongings?" Shane stood, hands on hips looking stern but intrigued as he waited for an answer to his question.

Glenn shrugged as if he had not thought of that. "Well, I mean, I know the city and some of the areas around the outskirts pretty well. I can make a run to some of the stores there first. Either way it's stealing so if your cop instincts have a problem with that..." he trailed off to see what the larger man would say. When no response came he continued. "I just think it would be safer for now to stick as close to camp and as far from the city as possible."

Morales and T-dog had been listening silently. Neither of them were thrilled with going into the city either but both seemed content to let someone else make that call.

"For now lets try our luck with the stores you know. If it becomes necessary we'll revisit other options later." Shane was firm on this, and the others agreed. None of them really knew what to do in this situation, if Shane wanted give them some starting points they were okay with that.

Shane spoke up drawing the attention of the others in the group. "Alright listen up. For now this seems like the safest place until we find out what exactly is happening in the city and with the military. I've got a CB radio that we'll leave on; hopefully we'll hear some news. Until then, all we know is that at least a part of the city is not safe and traveling with the roads jammed up won't do us any good. We need to pool our resources and figure out what we need to settle in for the time being. Everyone will need to pull his or her weight and pitch in to make this work. Thanks to the lake at the base of the quarry we've got plenty of access to water. Food and shelter are our priorities at the moment. If everyone can get whatever food they have with them and bring it to the center of this clearing we can take stock of what we've got. Once that is done everyone needs to check their supplies for basic comforts. By this I mean blankets, pillows, hygiene products, that type of thing.

"What makes you think I'm gonna share my food with you people? " Ed's blunt question showed his displeasure.

Shane shook his head; he knew out of everyone Ed would be the least cooperative. "Look Ed, we all need to work together to survive. Some of us have weapons; some have tools, some food. If everyone shares we have a better chance of survival. I see you got a shot gun with you." Shane nodded to the gun sitting outside the tent. "Maybe ammo gets low, maybe whoever goes on a run finds you some more shells, cause they know your food is what fed them the night before." _And, I doubt an abusive lazy prick like you will do much else for this group to give us a reason to keep you safe._ He said this all logically, not allowing his final thoughts to form into words.

"Look, I'm not saying any of us need to become best friends. Hell, you can all keep to yourself as much as you want just as long as everyone pitches in where it counts. Essential supplies are communal supplies. Protecting each other is a group effort. Outside of that I don't care if anyone speaks a word to one another. It may be that we won't be here for long. Maybe we'll pick something up on the CB but we need to prepare as best we can."

He was not sure how realistic it would be to live like that in such a small area but Shane did not really care. He meant what he said, as long as everyone contributed supplies and no one did anything to put others in danger he was not going to complain.

The pile of supplies was not encouraging. Some like Shane, Lori, and Carl had assumed they were going to a refugee center and had only packed the bare necessities. Some like, Tom and Jo Anna, two of the people who followed them off the highway were slightly more prepared. They had no actual destination in mind when they decided to leave home. Apparently they had seen the writing on the wall so to speak. They thought to grab some seldom-used camping supplies and as many cans and boxes from their pantry as they could before leaving home in search of safety. Ed for all his blustering, proved to have little in the way of food. He had thought to pack a tent and sleeping bags as well as the previously mentioned shotgun, but when it came to food the only thing he could contribute was about fifteen MRE (meals ready to eat) packets. There was also the church van group who had little nothing but the clothes on their backs. T-dog explained that eventually the part of the city he was in got too dangerous for him to even attempt to make it back to his house. Glenn and Jacqui were in similar situations and had been lucky enough that T was close by when they needed a quick getaway.

Knowing they had the least to contribute it was this group that stepped up first; offering to be the ones to leave camp in search of more supplies. Shane accepted Glenn as a runner easily, he knew of the stores and the area they would be going to. The other two he hesitated.

"No, I'll go with Glenn. T if I can take your van it will be the best vehicle to get supplies." T-dog handed Shane the keys to his van but anyone could clearly see he was not thrilled with being left behind. "There are things here that need to be done. We only have about a week worth of water, if we use it for nothing but drinking. Hopefully we'll have more after we get back but for now see if you can figure out a way to get some water up here from the quarry. That way we don't have to keep making trips down there."

He looked to Lori and Jacqui. "If ya'll can organize these supplies, figure out how to separate it into a few meals a day." He nodded to the pile of food that looked as if it would only feed a group this size for five or six days. In a lower voice he added "I'm suggesting it as something the kids can help with. Maybe set them to helping ya'll then work on finding some sticks and things to get a fire goin."

He was not lying when he said this was about the kids but he was not being completely honest either. He knew Rick had taught Lori how to shoot but he was sure it had been years since she even held a gun. He knew nothing about any one else in camp or their abilities, and the bottom line was they had little in the way of weapons. Everyone needed to be kept busy and feeling useful, Lori especially. Giving out little 'housekeeping' tasks would do just that. He did not need anyone wandering off into the woods or having the kids getting lost.

Looking back to the women he spoke quietly. "Maybe ya'll can get Carol and Sophia to join ya."

Lori nodded. She was sure everyone had picked up on how gruff and controlling Ed could be. It was not Her place to say anything but she had no problem finding little ways to include the woman and her daughter. Seeing the agreement from the ladies, Shane advised both T-dog and Morales to simply keep everyone busy with whatever they could think of until he and Glenn returned.


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: Hi, Sorry I got off Schedule there for a bit. I was hoping to write and edit while on vacation and I just didn't have the time. (the joys of vacationing time being about events and holidays) I have already started the next chapter I'm hoping to get back on Schedule with my Monday Tuesday posting by next week.**

 **For those who have followed this story thank you. I hope you are enjoying it. Working on the next few chapters has been difficult because I don't want to move to quickly to the world we all know and love but I do not want to bore you all with the minutia either. Send me your thoughts, I always love to hear from you.**

 **Again this is not beta'd so I apologize for any mistakes.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TWD or anything affiliated with the comic or show.**

* * *

It had been a little over a week since they set up camp at the quarry. The group had grown by four in that time. Jim was a tall thin man who had barely spoken since Glenn and Shane found him that first day. The run had gone well for the most part. One of the stores that Glenn knew about was a Target. This meant they were able to get a lot of the things they needed in one place. Shane knew that it had been said but some part of his brain still expected the store to be open for business as usual, so when they pulled into an abandoned parking lot he had to remind himself of how bad things seemed to be.

"When things got crazy a lot of the stores had trouble keeping the shelves stocked or getting employees to come to work so they closed up." Glenn said when he saw the look on Shane's face. "It was pretty nuts how fast things fell apart."

His words did not seem to appease Shane. The officer knew how quickly things could go bad. Hell, he had been at the hospital when the military came in and basically laid siege, but that, he could at least make sense of. The hospital was filled with the sick, any one of them could have been infected and spread this virus. It did not make it right but it could be considered logical. The city was most likely bombed to keep infected areas from spreading to safe zones. Again, the loss of innocent, healthy lives was not something he liked to think about but he could at least understand. Seeing stores and restaurants completely devoid of life and not knowing if it was due to evacuations, fear, or the virus scared him.

Inside the store they were able to grab some camping supplies, tents, sleeping bags, cots, and a few lanterns. Glenn even thought to grab some of those glow sticks for the kids. Unfortunately that was where their luck ended. The food section had been picked over pretty good. Almost all of the water and canned goods were gone. If they had been bought and not able to be replenished or if they had been looted in recent days neither man knew nor cared. They did grab some boxed meals, cereals, instant breakfast drinks, and oatmeal. They were about to head to the stock room when Shane had an idea. He knew they would need to ration food regardless of their supplies; mixing a bit of protein powder into their water could help keep energy up and hunger down. He instructed Glenn to head to the stock room intending to catch up.

Shane grabbed a few containers of powder tossing them into a gym bag when he heard Glenn shout. Running to the stock room, gun out, safety off, he was fully prepared to find one of the dead grabbing for the young man. What he found was a man holding his hand out helping Glenn to his feet. The look on his face was dead, not dead like the people who had turned, just blank. After getting over the shock and confusion they learned the man's name was Jim and he came into the store the night before seeking shelter. They eventually convinced the man it would be safer for him come back to the camp with them.

Jim was withdrawn; he carried himself with an air of someone who was simply going through the motions of living. When Shane questioned him, concerned for the safety of the others at camp, Jim would only answer that he did not have anything left. Knowing how T-dog had to flee the city, how he had to leave Rick behind, and how quickly people abandoned their belongings on the highway, Shane understood the man's words even if he did not know what exactly had been lost.

Before returning to camp the three men scavenged a few more stores. At a Dollar General they had more luck with cases of water and canned food. Jim also suggested grabbing a few basic tools, plastic ware, and paper plates. They had come across a number of geeks, as Glenn had taken to calling them. When some of the dead got close Jim used a crowbar, swiping at their legs or bashing their heads. Shane raised his gun and fired at a few but regardless of their defense, the geeks kept coming. Seeing that the noise from the gun brought more attention they opted to quickly and quietly move on.

They had seen the dead come back to life on the news and Internet. They had seen people near their homes have to be put down because they were infected but none of them felt as if it was something that they would get used to. The ones who looked alive were the hardest to deal with. Some of the geeks were visibly wounded; there was no mistaking their injuries, but some barely had a mark on them. Those people who had no obvious injuries were the most difficult to see.

When they returned to camp they introduced Jim to everyone. He quickly found a place off to the side to set himself up before helping to unload the supplies. They now had enough food and water to last them two or three weeks. Everyone that did not have a tent before would now have one even if they ended up having to share with someone else. T-Dog and Morales had taken three of the coolers and filled them with water from the quarry. They told Shane they figured it could be used for cooking, and washing so that any of the bottled water would be specifically for drinking. Shane agreed as they only had a limited supply of purified water no reason to use it too quickly. Carl was excited to show him everything the kids had helped do. There was a fire pit built from rocks Morales had carried up from the quarry and a pile of twigs and small branches to use as kindling.

The overall atmosphere of the camp that night was one of calm. Knowing they would have food and shelter went a long way to ease the fear from the previous night. Everyone still had their concerns but for the moment they were safe, after watching a city being bombed that was all any of them could hope for. The kids had become fast friends during the day and asked if they could again share the back of the station wagon to sleep. Miranda was the one who pointed out that allowing the kids this bit of freedom would keep them from getting too scared. All of the parents were worried about how the kids were coping, but it seemed like making this as much like a normal camp out as possible was the best thing to do.

Once everyone had eaten and the kids were settled in for the night the rest of the group broke up as well. Tom and Jo Anna went to their tent, as did the other two from the highway who seemed content to keep to themselves. They had introduced themselves but kept separate so much that Shane could barely remember them speaking. Jim thanked the group for the meal before excusing himself to sleep. Ed and his family had eaten together just outside of their tent around a small fire of their own. It seemed that some took Shane at his word, pitching in when needed but keeping to their selves otherwise. The rest had no problem spending time talking. The only one, who was quieter than normal as they sat around the fire getting to know one another, was Lori.

It was not long before the brunette excused herself to bed. She and Shane had agreed to share a tent since Carl was bunking with the other kids. As she changed for bed she felt tears once again well in her eyes. She knew she was being dramatic but ever since Shane left camp she had been fighting tears. From the moment Shane found her at the schoolyard he had been by her side. He held her hand as she signed all the forms in case something went wrong during Rick's surgery. He listened as she vented her guilt about how often she and Rick had been fighting. He wrapped her in his arms as she cried.

There had been murmurs on the news about a horrible flu being reported in different areas of the country days before Rick was shot. When that first week passed with no sign of her husband waking up, and the news reports becoming more frightening, Shane was there for her. He checked in with her every day, even when he was called in for extra shifts. He kept her calm and helped to explain things to Carl when the military showed up in town.

It was all of these reasons that she had a hard time keeping it together when he left camp. She needed Shane and when he left to search for supplies she realized exactly how much. There was a part of her that knew her attachment to her husband's best friend was not healthy. Rick had only been dead for three days, but it had been weeks since she heard her husband's voice, and even longer since their words or touches had been filled with love. It was because of all these things she had found herself clinging to the man when he entered their tent to check on her.

Lori sought comfort and reassurance in Shane's embrace. He held her tight listening as she sobbed out words that explained how much she needed him. That night, hearing how much fear and uncertainty his leaving the camp had caused her, he made her a promise. He promised to do everything he could to keep himself close to her while still thinking of the needs of the others. He promised that unless absolutely necessary he would delegate more dangerous tasks. He promised that as the man in her life she and Carl would always be his main concern.

* * *

The seclusion of the area gave the group a sense of calm. Once the immediate concern of food and shelter had been addressed most of the group were content to remain at camp. They had established a routine of general tasks. The days were simple; wake up, eat, wash the items used to cook, someone would check the area for any geeks, The kids would be sent to play, and the adults were left to their own pursuits. It was not fun but it was not overly stressful either, sometimes if they allowed themselves they could forget what was happening beyond the boundaries of the quarry.

It was a few days later when the group could be found watching a debate between Glenn and Shane. Glenn had expressed his desire to scout the area for anything else that may be of use. Still uncomfortable with taking things that clearly belonged to others, a discomfort that was shared by Lori and some of the others in the group; Shane was not convinced they needed to make another run so soon. The officer held onto the hope that they would have word of a safe zone before they would need more supplies. Glenn insisted that he would rather have more then they needed than have to leave camp again when things could be even more dangerous. He also pointed out that on their original run they had neglected to find extra clothing for those who had little more than the clothes on their backs. Some of the group had lent clothes to those in need, but when all material things are in short supply lending out belongings is not easy.

Part of Shane's reluctance to agree to another run was his promises to Lori. He was being looked at as the leader. There was no official declaration but it was obvious that most deferred to Shane for the final say in any decisions. He was concerned that everyone would expect him to accompany Glenn if he agreed to another supply run. Finally in hopes to get Glenn to back off he decided to throw out some rules.

"You know I don't think another run right now is necessary." He held up his hand to forestall any further argument. "If you are so set on it I won't stop ya, but I have to think of the safety of this camp. The more people coming and goin' the more chance of bringing danger back. Anyone going on a run goes on a volunteer basis; I will not force anyone to go. If you go and no one wants to help, you go on your own. Anyone that chooses to leave camp knows that we can't send people out searching for 'em if they get stranded."

Seeing the others' faces at his last statement he continued quickly. "I ain't saying this to be heartless, but it's the reality. We can't risk putting anyone else in danger if someone gets trapped out there with the geeks."

Glenn was nodding. "I get it."

With a raised eyebrow Shane asked, "Do ya kid?"

"Yeah, and you're right, the more of us out there wandering around the more chance of calling attention of the geeks. It's probably better if I go alone anyway. Just me, it's quick and quiet."

After some surprise and a lot of talk about how safe he would be alone, Glenn was finally able to leave camp. He took a gun from Shane but had no intention of using it. He was a decent shot with time and no distractions but he was hoping to do this while drawing as little attention to himself as possible.

That hope was lost after about an hour of searching cars and filling duffel bags. He had just closed the trunk of a Ford Taurus when he heard an engine. Glancing behind him he saw an old Winnebago. He debated on alerting the RVs occupants to his presence but soon realized he was too late. They had already noticed him and it seemed he was the reason they were coming his way.

Glenn had always been a friendly guy; he was okay with meeting new people and was not truly concerned about the people inside the RV. His initial hesitance was from Shane's concern about bringing danger back to camp echoing in his head. It was with those same thoughts that he placed his hand on the gun he had shoved in the waist of his jeans. When the RV came to a stop and an older man wearing a fishing hat and a button up shirt that fit the tacky tourist fashion sense perfectly stepped out, he relaxed.

"Saw you out here alone, thought you might need some help." the man held out his hand "I'm Dale Horvath."

Glenn self-consciously adjusted his ball cap before reaching out to shake the man's hand. "Glenn Rhee"

"Well son, we were heading to the city. They were reporting a refugee center there." Dale looked around at the abandoned cars uncertainly. He had been skeptical of the safety the city was supposed to offer and as they passed more and more cars those feelings continued to grow. He had been trying to convince himself of the reasons so many would have just up and left their cars and belongings if they were heading to a safe area. His most recent attempt was the slim chance that the safe zone did not have room for so many vehicles and belongings therefore the people were shuttled in on military vehicles.

Glenn did not want to be the one to inform the man of the insanity they witnessed that night on the highway but knew he could not allow him to travel into the city. He was just about to inform Dale of the bombing when a blond woman stepped out of the RV.

The woman was introduced as Andrea. Her and her sister Amy had been caught up in another traffic jam when a few of the dead seemed to come out of nowhere. There was a lot of panic and before either sister truly realized what was happening they were trapped in a mess of people trying to avoid the things. Thankfully they were far enough away to avoid the real danger presented by the geeks, however their car was boxed in. Dale saw that they were trapped; he was able to get their attention and get them to safety before the geeks got too close.

Glenn in turn told them about the night on the highway, the establishment of their small camp, and his current scavenging mission. Hearing that they would most likely not find safety in the city they all agree to join Glenn back at the quarry when he voiced the idea. Reaching a decision the sisters offered to help Glenn scavenge a few more cars while Dale began packing what he had already found inside of the RV. Having left camp on foot Glenn initially planned to hot wire one of the more accessible cars to bring back as many supplies as possible. Having a vehicle the size of the RV would be perfect, and save him the effort.


	6. Chapter 5

AN: here's a little of Rick, This is obviously some of the events of Days gone by. I am taking some liberties here in extending the time frame for what happens from waking up to leaving King County, because lets face it based on the time frame on the show Rick may have been in a coma for like a month with not fluids or nutrition and my brain just cannot compute that, even in a world where Walkers (zombies) exist. This is a shorter chapter, sorry, but I'm already part way through the next chapter so I should remain on time with posting once a week. This is not beta'd so all mistakes are mine, hopefully I caught them all but I doubt it. Enjoy reading and thanks for the follows and/or reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own walking dead or any affiliated media.

* * *

"That Vase is something special. Fess up; did you steal that from your Grandma Gene's house? I hope you left her that spoon collection." His voice is scratchy and his head is fuzzy as he speaks. Hearing no response from his best friend he rolls his head to the side noticing no one is standing there. "Shane? Shane you in the john?" He calls before noticing the wilting flowers. He was certain his partner had just placed them there.

Glancing around the room he notices the clock is stopped. Feeling more and more confused he pulls at the tubes and wires on him trying to get out of bed. Before he can take a step his legs give out and he tumbles to the floor. There is a pain in his chest, reminding him of the bullet that just missed his vest. Where in the world was Shane? He had just been there, talking to him about the girls in dispatch.

"Nurse!" he called. "Nurse help!" He heard no response, finally noticing that everything was overly quiet. It was not just the wall clock that had stopped. The normal sounds heard throughout a hospital were strangely missing. There was no beeping of monitors. There were no voices calling from intercoms, paging doctors or nurses to specific rooms. There were no phones ringing. The light in his room was not from the florescent bulbs in the ceiling but from the windows.

Pulling himself up from the floor he staggered to the bathroom. His mouth was so dry he wondered how long it had been since he had so much as a drink of water. Turning on the sink he gulped at the liquid as quickly as he could.

Looking up into the mirror he noticed he had a least a week's worth of stubble growing. His eyes were ringed with dark circles and he was paler than he had ever been before. Knowing he was not completely healed and that finding a medical professional to help would be for the best. He pushed the door to the room open. He stumbled past the gurney blocking his door and practically fell into what looked like a war zone. Glancing around at the completely destroyed hallways, lights flickering as if what ever knocked out the power had not completely killed the generators, he wondered if this was all just some drug induced dream or hallucination.

Reaching the nurses desk he grabbed for the phone, ignoring the scattered papers and what look to be bullet holes. He is unable to get a dial tone on the phone just as another light completely flickers out. Frustrated he digs around the desk for any source of light he can find. A box of matches seems to be the only option. He continues stumbling down the hall, searching for answers, when he sees what appears to be a woman who had been torn apart and left for dead. He feels a trickle of fear. That trickle increases when he sees gray decaying hands push between the doors that read "Don't Open Dead Inside".

As if on autopilot he makes his way out of the hospital, barely registering the bodies and devastation he sees. The fear he felt in the hospital drives him through the pain in his chest. Finding his family and understanding why the world had fallen apart are the only things on his mind. His mind keeps jumping between the need to find his family alive and well among this insanity and the belief that he must truly be hallucinating.

The idea of this all being a tortuous hallucination solidifies as he reaches his home to find it empty. When he realizes there is no trace of his wife or son he breaks down in the middle of their home. Falling to the floor, he reaches for anything real, because this is not real. The morphine given to him for pain must be more powerful than it should be. That must be why he does not register the pain in his chest as the wound throbs, the higher dosage must be what is causing him to be stuck in this terrible non-reality. Without knowing it, he has begun touching the floor as if expecting his fingers to pass through a non-existent image all while repeating 'not real" over and over until he finally passes out.

* * *

When he wakes again there is a terrible throbbing in both his chest and his head. He also feels an ache in his shoulders and numbness in his hands. Assuming he must have finally woken up from his nightmare he groans rolling his head to the side only to find he is in fact not in his hospital room. At the sight of the boy standing next to the bed holding a baseball bat he has a flash of memory.

Waking up on the floor of his home, he had no idea how long he had been there. Still not wanting to believe that the world had fallen apart and his family was missing he stumbled his way outside. He sat defeated on his front steps wondering if he would ever wake up when he had been hit from behind.

Before he can speak a voice comes from the other side of him. "Got that bandage changed out. It was pretty rank, looks mostly healed though. What was it? The wound?"

Rolling his head to focus on the voice he sees a tall black man washing out bandages in a basin. He was most likely the boy's father. It took a moment but he processed the words and answered his question. "Gunshot."

The man turns toward him now. "Gunshot? What else? Anything?"

Confused at the caution in the man's voice he answers again. "Gunshot ain't enough?"

The conversation continues in this fashion for a few moments. There is talk about bites, scratches, and fevers, none of which make any sense to him. Finally he is released from the restraints that have him secured to the bed; after; being promised death if he makes any wrong moves. The man and boy leave him with the direction to join them when he is ready. He takes some time gathering himself before wrapping a blanket around his shoulders and making his way to the room the father and son are in.

He immediately recognizes the home they are in. His neighbors, Fred and Cindy Drake, had lived here for many years. When he voices this the man shortly answers that it was empty when they arrived. Curiosity and confusion are still predominant emotions as he makes his way toward the windows. It is dark now and he is quickly scolded for pulling back the curtains. The man explains that the gunshot has drawn more of 'Them' to the area. This leads to a conversation about what exactly 'They' are.

He joins the other two sitting around a coffee table where a can of beans has been set to boil, and introductions were finally made. As Morgan established that Rick new nothing of what was happening in the world he felt true pity for the man. It had been hard enough to believe while witnessing it. Waking up and everything being different? That would be enough to drive any man insane. He explained about the 'Walkers' as much as possible, given that no one really knew the why and what behind everything.

"...One thing I do know... don't get bit. We saw that bandage and that's what we were afraid of. Bites kill you. The Fever burns you out, but then after awhile... you come back. That's why we tied you to the bed. After Duane knocked you out, you were out for almost 2 days and you were running a fever. We couldn't risk you waking up a Walker."

Two days? Rick's mind was racing with what he had been told but when Morgan said two days everything came to a halt for him. He was almost certain he had not slept on the floor of his home for more than twelve hours but when you take all things in to account it meant it had been almost three days since he woke up in the hospital. He knew his body was not where is should be physically, he could already feel himself fading. He was dehydrated and malnourished, he had no clue how long he had been alone in that hospital. Logically he knew it could not have been too long or he would not have survived but it had been long enough to take a toll on his already weak body. Thinking about it he realized the loss of those days was understandable. The state he was in, after not moving for a significant period of time and then exerting so much energy in his flight from the hospital had exhausted him completely.

"...seen it happen." Duane's morose voice pulled him from his thoughts. Rick wondered silently at his somber mood. Later that night he received an answer. When a car alarm blared outside pulling more of the Walkers toward the house one caused an extreme reaction in the boy. Morgan explained that his wife turned but he could not find it in himself to put her down. As he explained all this, Rick's thoughts flashed to his own family. What had happened to Lori and Carl? Things had been rough between him and his wife for a while now but he loved her. He could not imagine what he would do if she was one of these dead things out there. Never once did it cross his mind that she had abandoned him for dead. He knew that if she was still out there, which he would not allow himself to think otherwise, she had done what was right for the safety of their son. Watching as Duane cried quietly into his pillow he promised himself he would find his family.


End file.
